Gena Rowlands, hailed as one of the greatest actresses of all time and a leading figure in independent cinema in the films of her husband, director John Cassavetes, has died. The star of the moving film The pages of our love was 94 years old.
Rowlands’ death was confirmed Wednesday by representatives for her son, filmmaker Nick Cassavetes, who revealed earlier this year that his mother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. TMZ Rowlands died Wednesday at his home in Indian Wells, California.
Virginia Cathryn Rowlands was born in 1930 (some sources give a later date) in Cambria, Wisconsin, where her Welsh ancestors had settled in the early 19th century.e century. Her father was a banker and state senator. She was a reserved child who loved books and stories. Her mother encouraged the young girl’s ambition to become an actress.
Rowlands dropped out of the University of Wisconsin as a sophomore to pursue an acting career in New York City. Like other actors of her generation, she gained invaluable experience in the burgeoning field of television drama in the 1950s, appearing on every major series.
PHOTO DICK STROBEL, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Gena Rowlands, in 1957
She and Cassavetes met at the American School of Dramatic Arts as their respective careers were just beginning. They married four months later. In 1960, Cassavetes used the proceeds from the television series Johnny Stacatto to finance his first film, ShadowsPartly improvised, shot in natural light on New York sets on a budget of $40,000, the film was applauded by critics for its brutal realism.
Gena Rowlands became a seasoned actress through television series and tours in Seven years of reflection And Time for Gingeras well as in shows in Off-Broadway.
Besides Nick, director (Alpha Male, My life for yours) and actor, she and Cassavetes had two daughters, Alexandra and Zoe, who also had acting careers.
Working outside the studio system, husband-and-wife team John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands created indelible portraits of working people and small-time actors in films such as A woman under the influence, Gloria And FacesRowlands made 10 films over four decades with her husband, including Minnie and Moskowitzin 1971, Opening Nightin 1977, and Love Streamsin 1984.
She received two Oscar nominations for two of them: A woman under the influence in 1974, and Gloria in 1980.
In addition to her Oscar nominations, Rowlands has won three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy and two Golden Globes. She received an honorary Oscar in 2015 in recognition of her work and legacy in Hollywood. “You know what’s great about acting? You don’t live one life,” she said at the podium.
PHOTO FREDERIC J. BROWN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Actress Gena Rowlands in Hollywood in 2014
A new generation discovered Gena Rowlands in her son’s hit film The pages of our love (The Notebook), in which she plays a woman with a ravaged memory, recalling a love affair that has lasted for decades. The younger version of her character was played by Rachel McAdams.
John Cassavetes died of cirrhosis in 1989, and Rowlands returned to filmmaking to ease her grief. In between engagements, she occasionally attended film festivals and screenings of Cassavetes’ films.
Gena Rowlands said in 1992 that her roles remained etched in her memory.
“Sometimes, on those sleepless nights when I’m not sleepy and I have a lot of time to think about everything, I look at different possibilities of different characters and what they could do now,” she said.